Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has received a detailed list of all illegal refineries in the state from chairmen of the various local government areas.
He immediately ordered their destruction in a bid to stop the spread of soot in the state.
Wike asked all the 23 local government area chairmen to rent bulldozers and destroy all identified illegal refineries in Rivers.
He said the government would provide financial support for the operations.
The governor implored the Commissioner of Police, Eboka Friday, to provide adequate security for the chairmen during the operations.
Recall that the governor had earlier issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the 23 chairmen to provide him with a comprehensive list of all illegal refinery sites and their operators within their respective jurisdiction.
Wike said: “I will not relent in this fight. And all of you should hire bulldozers. All those areas where the illegal refinery sites are in the bush, in the creek, clear the place.
“The government will give you some money to go and hire bulldozers to go and clear the sites so that they will know we are serious.
“One thing I want to say and which is very clear, and like everybody knows, I am not against anybody making money. But, we cannot allow people to make money while others are dying.”
